The Photographer with the Keyblade
by RagingFireFox
Summary: Chloe Price's best friend haves been gone for five years. Not once receiving a phone call nor text. Loathing her best friend Chloe now hows to deal with finding Rachel and paying off Frank. But just as her plan to blackmail Nathan Prescott for money backfires, her long lost friend barges back in her life. Literally. Not long, reasons of Max being gone start to make sense.
1. Disclaimer

**Disclaimer!**

 **First I want to say that I do not own any of these games nor the characters. This was just an idea that came to me and thought would be fun to write about. However characters (ie. Max) will be a bit OoC. I would also point out that I am putting my own twist to things with a different element. So there is no need to nitpick at something I write. Not sure if I will add romance to the story or not, put I suppose that's up to readers if they want some. I just want to give you all a heads up and hope you enjoy.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chloe took a last hit on her cig before dropping it effortlessly on the parking lot floor.** Her boot stomping onto of it and smearing the ashes and bud ground. She sighed looking up as she stared at the main campus building of Blackwell Academy. She had sent the rich prick, Nathan Prescott a latter, threatening to out him for what he did or rather what he almost did to her that night. Chloe still get the chills from thinking about it. Not only was it creepy it was scary as well. Though she wouldn't admit that it was actually stupid of her to even do what she had done. Going into a club, thinking she could score from Nathan so she could pay back a debt she owed big time.

' _Alright Chloe. Get your shit together. You hella got this.'_ Loosing up her shoulders, Chloe pushed off her truck door and made her way up to campus. She noticed Justin and his skater friends chilling on a ledge or pulling tricks on their boards. Chloe was tight with Justin and his crew, her and Rachel use to hang out with them. That is until Rachel went missing.

Six months, it has been six months and still no word about Rachel Amber. At this point Chloe was desperate, wanting to find the girl, her one friend. For Chloe, Rachel was the only thing she had to keep her grounded. Saving her from her destructive ways and making Chloe believe that for once there was someone who truly cared for her. Rachel was her angel, her light and Chloe will be damn if she just let that light go. And once Rachel was found, they will get into Chloe's beat down looking truck and get away from this stupid small town.

Arcadia Bay was nothing but a prison. Tormenting Chloe with her bitter memories of her father and best friend. Her father dead and friend moving away to Seattle when she needed her the most. It still pissed her off that Max didn't even have the decency to even try to reach her. Chloe never moved. Her number was the same. House address the same. She was stuck here in this shithole now alone. Her mother remarried to a man who had a stick so far up his ass it wasn't even funny. There was no way for him to even come close to be compare to her deceased father. A tool was all he was. Simple as that.

Nathan 'Jackass' Prescott had sent Chloe a text that he would meet her in the bathroom. Chloe always wonder how he managed to get her number but then again he was a Prescott. He could get his prick-like hands on anything. They always do. Another reason to blow this dump hole. Find a place where she didn't have to deal with a town and a old ass family that believe it owned everything from the people that live in Arcadia Bay to the air they breathe.

Chloe stood in the main hall looking around. Students just went on with their school live like nothing. None of them really giving Chloe a second glance. Better that way anyways, she didn't need the attention at the moment. She walked into the girl's bathroom and sure enough Nathan Prescott was there, hunched over a sink. Just from the looks of things it looked like they were all alone. But Chloe couldn't risk it.

"So what do you want?" Nathan asked as soon as Chloe walked in.

"I hope you check the perimeter as my step-ass will say," she said pushing open the bathroom stalls until she reached the last one. All of them were empty and clear from anyone that can possibly listen in. Good. "Now, let's talk bidness ."

"I got nothing for you," Nathan spoke in a calmed, cool voice. Chloe turn towards Nathan, seeing herself and him in the mirror reflection.

"Wrong. I know you got hella cash," she said seriously, her eyes glaring at Nathan.

"That's my family, not me." Douche. That was what Chloe silently called this guy as he continued to be obnoxious. It may be his family's money but he was part of it and he had plenty of access to such money.

"Oh poor little rich kid," Chloe rolled her eyes her stare still on Nathan even as he started to turn his head to face her. "I know you been pumping drugs and shit into kids here. I'm willing to bet that your respectable family wouldn't mind heling me out if I asked them. Oh, I can't wait to see the headlines."

Nathan was getting worked up, Chloe could tell as he insulted her, demanding her to leave his family alone. Oh she was getting to him. But she was going to keep going, keeping pushing until he broke and gave into her demands. A con about being a rich kid is you have to make sure you don't get called on your fuck ups to screw with your family rep. Otherwise it's your own ass.

"I can tell everyone that Nathan Prescott begs like a wuss and talks to himself," Chloe shoved his arm. Next thing she knew she was at the end of a gun.

Shit.

"You don't know who you are messing around with, bitch," Nathan snapped. Chloe had already lift her hands up in defense. Her heart race a mile a minute and fear of what was going to happen. She stepped back as Nathan came forward. Her back hit against the wall. Fuck.

Nathan was on her, a hand on the wall beside her head and trapping her. The gun aimed at her abdomen at blind range.

"Where did you get that? Hey put that away!" It took a lot for Chloe not to stutter, her blue eyes wide with fear. She didn't have a way out.

"Shut up! Don't ever tell me what to do! No one! I am SICK of people trying to control me!" Nathan ranted. The whole time Chloe noticed something about Nathan was off. Well, more off than normal. His eyes held a dangerous gleam, almost as if they were shining in a cruel way. A dark aura seem to appear around Nathan's body. It was black and evil looking. He was practically snarling at Chloe like some kind of beast.

Chloe tried to push him away but the rich kid was stronger than her. It was no use but the hell she was going to stay here any longer. Clearly this idea back fired on her. Typical.

"You're gonna get in a hella more trouble over this than drugs," she warned still trying to push him away.

"Nobody would even even miss your 'punk ass' would they!" Nathan's voice was octaves deeper than normal. Chloe froze in fear as his eyes were no longer blue but a bright, glowing yellow. The black aura was even bigger and she could feel the coolness of it from where she stood. Chloe was freaking out. This person wasn't Nathan Prescott, it was some kind of dark monster. She struggled, feeling the gun against her stomach but she didn't care. She was fully focused on getting away from him.

From this monster.

She had no choice.

She had to get away!

"Get that gun away from me, creep!" She shoved Nathan as hard as she could.

It was enough for him to stumble back. However it follow by a large bang. Chloe closed her eyes, body tensed and waiting to feel the pain of having a bullet engraved in her gut. But it never came. She dare to open her eyes staring at Nathan. The dark aura flowing along his body his body also tense but they were no longer on Chloe but the door. The exact door she plan to make a dash for.

'BANG!'

Came the sound again. But this time the bathroom door busted open, nearly flying off its hinges. _'The fuck was that?!'_ Chloe moved away from the door against the sink.

"You been a pain in the ass to track down," came a feminine voice. Yet at the same time it sounded familiar. A girl walked in and Chloe couldn't believe it. Though her clothing style was completely different than back then it was the same girl.

Brown shoulder length hair with messy bangs over her eyes. Blue eyes with specks of gray and freckles sprinkled along her nose. She wore a red and black vest with a single black sleeve while her other arm was bare. She had on black baggy pants and white hightops. But what was truly off was what she was holding. A crazy looking sword that looked like a key.

At the sight Nathen growled? Chloe looked between the two, Nathan snarling like a beast, the intimidating aura crashed against her in waves. But the other girl didn't seem to be effect at all. Instead she raised her key shaped sword.

"Come at me then," dared Max Caulfield.


	3. Chapter 2

The only think Chloe could do was stare between the two. The air was thick with tension, so thick that Chloe would cut it with a knife. Her eyes looked back to Max. It was crazy how she recognized her so quickly. But suppose that was the power of 'besties' if they were even still that. Despite the many differences there were still many familiarities.

"Max," Chloe said lowly but it went unheard. Max didn't even look her way as she clashed with Nathan. Her weapon colliding with his hands. It was a stalemate between them and it was enough for Chloe to snap out of it.

"What the fuck is going on!?" She demanded yet her voice quivered with fear and uncertainty. She moved over to the door. It had closed as soon as Max moved out of the way. But she felt that someone would eventually hear the noise. More likely his step-father would come and check it out. But the hell she was thinking about that, she just wanted to get the hell out of there.

But despite being so close to the door where she can just touch it, her legs didn't move. She couldn't leave Max! She looked up as Nathan tossed Max yet she was quick. She twisted herself in the air as her feet hit the tiled wall, pushing off and flying towards Nathan, slashing at his sides and landing on her feet again in front of Chloe.

Nathan cried out, more like a beasty roar like a wild animal. His appearance changed, no longer looking like the rich, drug dealing, party-boy. Instead there was an all-black creature. Two sizes bigger and bulker than before. Its glowing yellow eyes staring at them.

"Oh God. What the hell is that?!"

"It's called a Heartless." Chloe noticed that Max was looking at her. Her stare was intense it made Chloe feel uneasy. Yet they made her feel calm and assuring like everything was going to be okay. This was unlike the Max Chloe knew, this one was more confident, strong.

"Chloe, you got to get out of here, now."

Chloe open her mouth but was tackled to the side. In a black blur the heartless ran out of the bathroom. She didn't know that Max was on top of her until she cursed and got up to her feet. She gave Chloe one more look. Her eyes held different emotions but they were gone as fast as they came. Max open her mouth as if to speak but looked towards door and Chloe.

"I'm sorry," she said and rushed out of the bathroom.

And just like that Chloe was alone. She stood there, looking mindlessly at the wall across from her. She stood there as her heart went rapid in her chest, hands shaking and chills running up and down her spine. There was no way in explaining what just had happen. Was it even real? It was so impossible. She was almost shot then Nathan Prescott turn into a fucking monster and her long-time-no-see best friend charged in and fought it. What the fuck was going on?

Shaking her head Chloe left the scene, she couldn't stay here. She walked out expecting there to be some kind of chaos but instead there was calmness in the halls. Blackwell students talking with each other and walking out with phones in their hands. There was no trace of Nathan or whatever he was, and most importantly there was no sign of Max. Chloe tugged on her jacket and walked out from the main entrance. She had get the hell away, she didn't know what was going on and just needed to clear her mind.

If she had walked any faster she would had been running to her truck that was rudely parked in the handicap parking spaces. Not like she cared that she took up the room. She took out her keys, hands shaking as the key refuse to go inside the slot before she dropped them.

"Fuck," she bend down to pick them up. After a second attempt she got her door open and started up the truck and left. It was in the afternoon on a Monday, She went home, the house empty with both parents working. She went up to her room and laid on her bed. Compare to five years ago the room was completely different, far messier than before. Along with her appearance, her room showed just how much she changed.

Chloe sighed, lighting up and started to medicate as she smoked the blunt. Already the stress was leaving her but her confusion remained there. The room as quiet and it wasn't helping her with her thought process. The whole time she was thinking about Max. It was only for a moment but she saw her. Chloe wasn't sure exactly how she felt about it. Excited yet at the same time bitter…

* * *

Max's panted, leaning against the wall in a dark alley. Her arm burn as blood dripped down her fingers to the floor. She felt like her lungs were burning from all the running and fighting. Normally she couldn't get this hurt but she been distracted. Her mind somewhere else while she relied on her battle instincts to make sure she didn't get killed.

Tracking down the heartless was a hard task. She came so close only for it to get away again. If only Ven was with her they would had taken it down together. It wasn't a normal heartless. It was stronger and most and it seem to know what it was doing.

She managed to corner it behind the Two Whale's Diner. She didn't noticed until know when she saw the sign. But it was far too late as she was injured and the heartless disappeared into the shadows. Max's keyblade vanished from sight just as the back door open. She scooted back around the corner so she wasn't seen. However she wasn't so lucky as Max kicked some trash with the back of her foot.

"Who's that?!" Came an all too familiar voice. Max's heart raced as she moved a little.

"Joyce?"

"Max?!"

 **A/N: Sorry for the shortness I didn't get much time to right this one. But future chapters will be a bit longer.**


	4. Chapter 3

"Oh lord, Max, what happened to you?!" Joyce came closer and Max couldn't really do much. There was no way she would run from Chloe's mother but she also didn't want to answer any questions, including the one asked just a second ago.

"I fell. On glass." Max decided. She looked at the injury. Three claw like marks on her arm from her shoulder to her elbow. It felt like fire and itch with irritation. She winced as Joyce tenderly touched her arm, trying to examine it in the dim light.

"Its fine, Joyce. I don't think it's all that deep."

"Nonsense, Max. It can still be infected." Their eyes met. Max knew there was never a time a person could win an argument against this woman and she wasn't going to try her luck. Silently she let Joyce lead the way inside the Two Whales.

"How long have you been back in town, five years and no word from ya makes seeing you here a shocker?" Max watched at Joyce bandaged her arm. It still stung after the peroxide was added but it was more annoying than painful.

"Two days. I was just settling in before I decide to have reunions with old friends." Complete lie. In truth Max just woke up at the beach and as soon as she caught wind of Heartless she been busy. She still didn't know how many of them were in her sleepy hometown and it disturbed her.

"Well I'm sure Chloe will be thrill to see you again. She been needing a good friend these past few months." Once Joyce mentioned Chloe, guilt washed over her like a wave. Max couldn't even look Joyce in the eye. It's been five years and Max barely thought about her friend back home. But for her defense she didn't get much lax time. As soon as she had arrive to 'That World' it was nothing but training. Hell she couldn't even grief her own parents' deaths.

"I'm sorry. Just, a lot had happen over the years."

"Oh, Sugar, you don't have to explain yourself to me. I'm sure Seattle had you so captured with it had to offer that you got distracted."

Max looked up and offer a small smile. "Yeah. I suppose so. But still, that doesn't help with the guilt."

"Well you don't mind it now. It's great to have you back to us," Joyce smiled." Well that should do it."

Max looked down, having not noticed that Joyce had patched her up. She moved her arm, the bandages made her arm more resistant to move but at least the bleed had stop and it was just a dull throbbed.

"Thank you, Joyce."

"Don't mention it." Joyce watched as Max reached over for her vest. The zip up she had under it; now tied around her waist. Joyce finally studied the teen. After five years, Max clearly grown into a cute girl. But there was something about her. Maybe it was how on guard she seem, of her watchful eyes as f excepting something to pop out of nowhere. Not to mention her story on tripping and falling on glass was rather… Well Max wasn't that great a lying. She was a open book most of the time.

"Joyce?"

The waitress snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Max who was looking at her with a confused expression on her face. Well it sure was better than that alerted face she had on. For that moment Max looked like Max.

"So Max, what are you doing back home? Are you part of that fancy Blackwell Academy? I heard they have a great photography class with some big shot photographer."

Max let out a small chuckle and shook her head." Yeah I heard about that place, but no I'm not going to school."

"Maxine Caulfield don't tell me you're skipping out of school, young lady."

Max chuckled and shook her head, hands up in surrender." No, nothing like that Joyce, honest."

Truth was Max haven't been in a regular school since eighth grade. Yes she was educated when she was taken in but it wasn't exactly the education one would expect. And Max sure wasn't going to talk about her past any time soon.

"You see a building next to the school I went to was torn down and so our school ended up with rat infestation so they closed the school down until they got it under control. Besides it was close to Spring break so I guess I got an extended vacation."

Talking about lying out of her ass. But it sounded convincing. Stuff like that happens, right?

Joyce seem to take the answer and nodded. "Well I'm glad you decided to spend time here with us. Chloe needs a good influence in her life."

Again, guilt came over Max but she smiled." Yeah. I gotta admit though she looks rather good in blue hair." She giggled when Joyce groaned and rolled her eyes. Max shrugged.

"Well Max, I gotta get back to work. You're welcome to stay around and have a nice dinner. I can take you home with me and you can sleep over, if that's okay with you."

Max just nodded. Honestly she was tired and needed rest. She still needed to look for Ven so they could figure out what was going on. No doubt Heartless were here in this town but they had to find where the source was. Max out of the bathroom, following Joyce before going and finding a lone booth to sit at.

"Chloe! Get down here!"

Chloe groaned as she woke up from the sound of her mother's voice. It was dark in her room, only the moonlight giving her lightening. Chloe wasn't even sure when she felt asleep but her music was playing, on the first track once more.

Chloe groaned, rubbing her eyes just as her door barged over, David walking in.

"Chloe, you're mother called you. You are expected to come when summon, soldier!"

Ugh, again with this military bullshit. Chloe glared tiredly at her stepfather." Give me a break I just woke up like ten seconds ago."

"Just come down stairs, and that's an order." David turn and left, not bothering to close her door.

"Pfft, I know where you can take that order and shove it at," she mumbled before getting up. Chloe sighed before getting up and leaving her room.

Her mother was in the kitchen, putting groceries away when Chloe came in.

"'Sup Joyce," the rebel greeted looking over what her mother had bought. She saw chips and reached for them. After all she did kind of had the munchies. Joyce smacked her hand away.

"No Chloe."

"Oh c'mon don't be like that." Chloe whined being childish. Joyce rolled her eyes. Go on now and get. Something is waiting for you in the living room."

"What is it?"

"For goodness sake, Chloe just go."

Chloe grumbled and rolled her eyes, going and seeing an all too familiar face sitting on the sofa.

"Max?!"

"Hey, Chloe." Max stood up rubbing the back of her head awkward.

Suddenly everything that happen that day came rushing to Chloe. Nathan. Point a gun at her then turning into the black thing. How Max came barging in like nothing and fought that thing with some weird weapon. Chloe had many questions but didn't know where to start.

The two best friends were quiet, just admiring each other. Max just stood and seem to be bracing herself for something. Then Chloe noticed the bandage on Max's arm. Specks of dry blood on the wrap.

"What happen to you?"

Max shrugged," Tripped, got cut by glass…"

"So earlier what was that…"Chloe flashed back to earlier and how Max came out of nowhere like a damn superhero and chased off whatever the hell that thing was. Sure the punk-rock chick wanted answer but right now…

Max stumbled back as she was tackling in a hug. She blinked, confused. Surely she expected Chloe to go off on her, yell, hit, something. Not this. Yet Max wasn't going to ask any questions and wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist while her taller friend engulf her in a bear hug, swaying gently.

"See Max, told you she would miss you," Joyce came walking in with a smile. The two best friends pulled back, Chloe looking almost relived and Max unsure what to do with herself. The feeling of awkwardness was building between the two teens yet Joyce seem clueless about it.

"So… How long you been back?" Chloe asked, rubbing the back of her head while Max shifted on her feet.

"Um, last night. I decided to expire town a little bit today." Though in translation, Max meant that she came crashing into the ocean from the sky and washed up on shore and since she woke up that next morning she was looking for her friend, Ventis and chasing Heartless when they popped up. But Joyce and Chloe didn't need to know that. For one they would think she lost it along with not believing her.

"Ah, well. Nice to see you got some kind of fashion sense besides your boring clothes."

Max pouted, "Not even two minutes and you insult my clothing, so Chloe."

Chloe grinned,"Ya know it."

 **A/N: Hey! Sorry for the wait I got side tracked with school and video games. Anyways hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Remember to read and leave a review of what you think of it. See ya!**


End file.
